Guyana_Chronicle_Pepperpot_03_04_2022

The Life of Farmers in Big Baiboo Village

At 66 years old, Grace Khan (right) is still farming beside her husband, Roshan Kahn (left), 70, and their son in Big Biaboo Village. This family plants bora on a large scale basis (Delano Williams photo)

Sunday, April 03, 2022

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 03, 2022

Guyana-born athlete made waves in Canadian Soccer THE name Charmaine Elizabeth Hooper is synonymous with ‘Canadian soccer’ [known as football in Guyana], and she will be remembered as one of the

the same age. “I would like to tell her that if I had the opportunity that she has, I would be in heaven.

When I was growing up in Canada, at 14. I was playing

club soccer.

That apart, Charmaine manages four Vacation Rentals and also owns a Child Care Centre.

Charmaine Hooper in action during her heyday

country’s best-ever women players.

Hooper enjoyed an illustrious career spanning just over two decades and left an indelible mark on Canadian soccer with her scintillating performances. Today, the now54-year-old Hooper lives in Waco, Texas, USA. These days, her attention is centred principally on her 17-year-old daughter Charlie, who’s following closely in her footsteps but whom she feels is even a better player than she was at

in the Under-18 age group.”

Charlie is eligible to represent USA, Canada and Guyana and was invited earlier this year for a tryout in Canada, but opted out for personal reasons. Despite not being Charlie’s coach, both Charmaine and her father Chuck, formerly a coach at Baylor University, play valuable roles in her progression and are present at all of her practice sessions and games. This entails hours of travelling between Waco and Dallas, where Charlie plays

As she reflected on her own career in Canada, Hooper shared that she feels somewhat slighted with the treatment meted out to her after her glittering career ended in 2006.

She admitted that currently, the Canadian Football Federation is making efforts to have the “right” persons on board but felt this wasn’t the case previously.

According to the outspoken Hooper, who is a close relSEE PAGE XXXVIII

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 03, 2022

Family over anything!

- How one creative used the pandemic to start up two small businesses

TO some mothers, leaving their newborn child with someone to work is off the cards. They’d do anything possible to be their child’s caregiver, even leave their job if they have to, or do less work. No one knows this better than Milika Stephens, who decided to resign as a registered nurse to be with her son when the pandemic started.

Much to her delight, Milika’s decision worked out great. Of course, the idea is

not to leave a job if there’s absolutely no way of looking after yourself or family financially, but once there’s room for a decision such as this, as Milika’s experience shows, then why not?

The COVID-19 pandemic had just started raging in Guyana, and with very limited knowledge about the virus, Milika was not sure that hiring someone to look after her newborn son while she went to work was the best idea. So she left her job

at the Woodlands Hospital.

“My son was a newborn and I didn’t have anyone to look at him; I didn’t feel safe leaving him with anyone.

COVID was new to us; we didn’t know anything about it, so I wasn’t taking any chances,” Milika said during an interview with Pepperpot Magazine.

So while at home and looking for something to do to bring in an income, Milika pursued her creative side and started up two small busi-

Once Milika forms the shape she has in mind, she then bakes the materials in an oven

nesses that she’s quite proud of today. Cuddlesomegy was the first one that she started almost two years ago.

“I started making memory bears; teddy bears made

A pair of polymer clay earrings made by Milika Mini clothing made from a deceased relative’s clothing

Milika Stephens

out of personal items that have some sort of sentimental value like old clothing from a loved one who has died or outgrown baby clothes,” Milika recalled.

She can make anything into a teddy bear once it’s cloth. “School uniform bears have been very popular; they’re like a best seller.

Lots of people are using them as graduation gifts,” she shared. It’s truly a beautiful, unique gift choice for

all those who prefer to give a gift with real meaning and true sentiment.

This business idea inspired Milika to create her second business called Mili Makes, which is now about two months old. This involves making polymer clay earrings which have been trending online for quite some time now.

“I realised that I like being creative…I tried to avoid making polymer clay ear-

rings, but I just kept seeing it online all over, so I decided to do it,” Milika reflected. “It turned out I am very good at it. I was just looking for another creative outlet and another way to make some money since I am still at home.”

M i l i k a ’s I n s t a g r a m page brings in almost all of her work, and she’s pretty sure that her latest SEE PAGE XVII

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 03, 2022

SRCS rangers working daily to prevent extinction of Rupununi turtle population

AS conservationists, the folk at the South Rupununi Conservation Society (SRCS) and all those from the different Region Nine villages who work along with the body definitely do the work on the basis of their passion for the preservation of wildlife and the environment.

It certainly couldn’t be the money alone that is driving these individuals, as in many cases, they are required to go above and beyond the call of duty to get the job done in an effective manner.

This year, for example, rangers attached to the SRCS were able to rescue 127 turtle nests which represent more than 1,200 eggs, even as the Rupununi River continues to rise and give them little time to rescue the eggs.

“As such, the rangers had to work all day and late into the night to dig the eggs out.

The eggs are also extremely delicate, so the rangers have to hold them in a very specific way in order to not damage them,” SRCS Programme Coordinator Neal Millar pointed out, noting, “The rangers should really be commended for their hard work and dedication, as well as for going above the call of duty.”

In the early 1990s, residents of Sand Creek Village in South Central Rupununi,

Region Nine, used to see turtles in abundance every time they went to the river. In fact, as part of their cultural traditions, the village would even have a turtle “feast” whereby they would catch as many turtles as possible and eat them together sometime during the Christmas holidays.

Since that time, though, residents of Sand Creek have noticed a serious decline in the turtle population. The obvious, main threat for this was the overharvesting that occurred not only at Christmas time, but throughout the year as well. Villagers also frequently go to the beaches along the river during the hatching season to collect eggs as a local delicacy.

In response to the decline, the SRCS offered to collaborate with the village to start a turtle conservation project. The project involved training villagers from Sand Creek village to become “turtle rangers.” Since January 2021, these rangers have monitored 12 beaches where turtles lay their eggs along the Rupununi during the turtles nesting season (January to May) to protect the nests on those beaches from humans.

Each day the rangers go out and walk along the 12 beaches, looking for signs of new nests. They do this

SRCS Ranger Dereck David moving eggs from a nest that was disturbed by a salipenter (Photos sourced from SRCS)

by looking for fresh turtle tracks. Once they find a new nest, they mark it with a flag and record the date they found it, the GPS location and the expected hatch date in their logbook. They also ensure that no humans are disturbing the nests during

their patrols.

In addition, the rangers also protect the nests from wildlife that also prey on them, including the salipenter. From January 2022, the rangers set camera traps to see if they could catch prey in the act and found evidence

The SRCS rangers during training for the project

A beach that is now covered by the Rupununi River

of salipenters destroying the nests. The camera traps also caught shots of other wildlife that roam the beaches, including jaguars, pumas, tapirs and capybaras.

Before 2021, it was very uncommon for the river to rise so early and for the beaches to become flooded.

SEE PAGE XXIX

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 03, 2022

The benefits of training in television production

ONE of Guyana’s television production personalities is passionate about returning the professionalism and training of persons in Television Video Production.

Kirk Clarke, owner of Clarke’s Production, recently sat down with the Pepperpot Magazine to share his perspective on ensuring that the professionalism of this vital resource is returned.

“Over the years, we have lost professionalism in the industry of media because everybody becomes a cameraman, everybody that holds a camera is a cameraman. So the camera insights of a person become personal…Back in the day, when you held a camera, you were taught that you are the eye of the camera and whatever you see is what the viewer is actually seeing. This provided great interest as it relates to filming,” Clarke disclosed.

Clarke further added that during his training days, certain technicalities of camera training were reserved for welltrained camera persons.

These included rolling of camera cables and the proper care of the camera as a device.

Clarke explained that television production is generically first a vocational training.

It is a skill that needs to be developed, he added “People need to understand the intricacies of a camera.

A lot of people can take pictures, but very few can take a photograph. It therefore means that when someone looks at a picture or photograph their interpretation of that photo is what it really is,” Clarke noted.

The future of television production Over the years, according to Clarke, television production has evolved, therefore, the perception that it only takes

Co-founder of Clarke’s Production, Kirk Clarke

a camera to do a movie is non-existent. “ We have just trained 30 persons and have achieved remarkable success. All we have been able to do is allowed to use their cell phones as a medium. The use of technology has allowed to use your phones to do a commercial, movie and whatever you want to do. Samsung galaxy has gone into a new era, whereby the Glasses you have on can also be done during production because it can be picked up through Google wireless recording somebody and you can literally transmit this hundreds and thousands of miles away and go back later and edit it,” Clarke explained.

According to Clarke, for the very first time, Guyanese do not have to leave the country to become internationally certified because Clarke’s Production has been given a CARICOM-based certificate.

Another staffer of Clarke’s Production, Timothy Blair, noted in brief remarks that through the eyes of the lens, the story is sold.

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“Given that Guyana is an oil-producing nation, everybody is

Staffer of Clarke’s Production, Timothy Blair

interested in learning more about our country, and this is the perfect opportunity to be able to use the visual elements for us to bring forth the beauty that we have to offer not only in terms of culture, but in terms of our people, flora and fauna and in terms of our resources that we have available to us,” Blair told Pepperpot Magazine.

Clarke expressed that training is vital and critical for the survival of the industry and for it to remain to a professional standard.

“No country, no nation can do without television production because every day we are on Instagram, we are on Facebook, and all the other social media platforms.

It is therefore critical to improve on the quality of the product /video/post you are putting out,” Clarke noted during his interview.

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 03, 2022

A day out in Big Biaboo Village

A view of various aspects of Big Biaboo Village (Delano Williams’ photos)

THIS week the Pepperpot Magazine visited the agriculture-based village of Big Biaboo Village, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) to highlight the way of life of the locals.

IT was an overland journey which started from the city to the East Coast, then via the highway over the

Mahaica bridge into a 10mile stretch of road through the De Hoop Branch Road, which is just off the main public road.

Along this 13.5-mile

road there are eight small villages and only 10 miles are accessible by road, the other 3.5 miles are inacSEE PAGE XL

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 03, 2022

The people of Big Biaboo

BEING a farmer takes a lot of know-how, and it is challenging today due to the changing weather patterns and the high cost of living, but the farmers of Big Biaboo Village are withstanding the test of time.

Haimchandra Ramcharitar is one such person who is the breadwinner of his home, planting red beans and bora.

He has 1500 roots of budding red beans and is hoping for a good harvest, since it is his first time cultivating such a crop.

Ramcharitar said he gets no days and does the hard labour himself, since he cannot afford to employ people.

He would sell his produce to wholesale buyers, but due to the bad condition of the dirt road leading to his house and farm, he would have to use a boat to get his produce to the koker to sell it.

At times, when he has no crops, he would act as a labourer with other farmers picking bora to earn and even go into the drainage canal to clean it as part of a day-job.

Pravesh Ramdass Pravesh Ramdass is also a farmer and the father of one, who is expecting another child and is a local of Big Biaboo.

The 21-year-old stated that if they had everything in place, then Big Biaboo would be the perfect place to live and earn.

He is part of a family of farmers who cultivates corilla, peppers, cucumber and bora on a large scale.

Collectively, they have 13.5 acres of land they use solely for farming and when they have a good harvest, a few men from the village are employed for a day’s job.

“Vans go up to where there is road to sell all kinds of things, but at the back here, we get nothing at our doors because of the state of the dirt road,” he said.

Ramdass disclosed that due to the large-scale rice farming in the area, those farmers usually have their crops sprayed with aeroplanes. As such, it is damaging their cash crops.

Suresh Parsrum Home of Ramesh Shibsahai

Pravesh Ramdass

Suresh Parsrum is also a farmer who is planting four and a half acres of bora and is hoping for a better road, so their lives will be easier.

He is 26 years old and would have to use a boat to take his child to school, instead of his motorbike, which uses less gasoline, thus exhausting his funds.

Jairam Khelawan This 61-year-old is a pensioner, and he has a garden of plantains and bananas.

He lives alone and is taken care of by his grown children, who would check on him from time to time.

He, however, receives assistance from

Parsram Khelawan

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and a loading area for produce.

He explained that he is doing some spraying of the grass for his own safety because he uses that place and doesn’t want the grass to get too tall.

Haimchandra Ramcharitar (Delano Williams photos)

Khelawan has been a farmer all his life and is still at it. He has a 15-acre farmland where he plants bora, corilla, cassava, plantains and banana.

At his age, he still uses a paddleboat to get to his farm and bring out his produce the same way.

Ramesh Shibsahai

his neighbours and the men in his village.

The father of four is in ill health, and he cannot cultivate on a large scale as he did before.

Parsram Khelawan Parsram Khelawan is 86 years old and a farmer, who was observed walking and spraying the tall grass by the koker which is used as a landing for boats

Heeralall Heeralall (only name) is the pump watchman, who has been on the job for the past 10 years.

He resides on a dam where the pump is in a bus which was converted into his living space, and is on the job on a 24-hour basis.

At the time, the team visited, he had already prepared a meal of bora and eggs with rice and was relaxing.

He is a friendly, easy-goSEE PAGE XV ing man, who keeps his little

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 03, 2022

The women farmers of Big Biaboo Village Working alongside their male counterparts as a way of life

AT 66 years old, Grace Khan is still farming beside her husband, Roshan Khan, 70, and their son, in Big Biaboo Village.

This family is one of the farmers that plants only bora which is of high quality and they do it on a large scale.

Khan is a retired teacher and has spent most of her life in the village, but after marriage she relocated to Bushlot, West Coast Berbice, but returned after a few months to her home village of Big Biaboo.

She started teaching when her differently-abled daughter was just six years old and spent 12 years in the noble teaching profession at the nursery school level before she retired.

The pensioner stated that her advice to teachers of today is to spend some time with slow learners because every child matters.

Khan’s daughter reportedly developed a brain complication after birth, due to a lack of oxygen to the brain and has been dependent on them since.

“Life is completely different now than before when we did not have internet, cellphones, an all-weather road and potable water services,” she said.

Khan stated that growing up as a child in Big Biaboo Village was a lot of fun even though life wasn’t so developed as nowadays. Back then, walking in the mud to and from school was considered normal.

She related that in her childhood days, there were a lot more children in the village than now. There are just about 50 and they all played together and swam in the canals and enjoyed their

Muldeo Tillack

Drupattie Tillack with her produce

Drupattie Tillack (Delano Williams photos)

Grace Khan and her husband, Roshan Khan, with their bora production

younger days.

Khan added that she has seen a lot of developments from then to now and it has improved their lives significantly.

“Since I gave my life to

Christ, my life is better and I am here trying to be strong for my family, even though there are some difficulties,” she said.

Khan noted that before they benefitted from an

The Tillack family returning home from farming

all-weather road, they had to use a boat to seek medical attention and access other parts of the country.

Khan would like all schoolchildren to get assistance to and from school, because it is quite costly to travel since there is no public transportation via minibus, only taxis, which adds up to $2000 per day per child.

Drupattie Tillack, the farmer Meanwhile, in the same village is the home of Drupattie Tillack, a homemaker and farmer, who has double roles in the home and would journey to their farm and work

alongside her husband, sons and a farmhand.

The mother five told the Pepperpot Magazine that they plant rice, bora, plantains and bananas and some other cash crops.

Collectively, they have 30 acres of privately owned farmland, of which five acres are utilised for bora, boulanger, peppers, corilla and tomatoes.

The remaining land is used for rice cultivation, which is managed by two sons, who also reside in the village.

Tillack and her husband, Muldeo, would journey to the Plaisance Market on Sundays

to sell their produce. Despite some challenges, they hope they will make a profit.

With the rising prices of drugs, fertilisers and fuel, it is difficult to gain a profit, and when they sell to wholesale buyers, it is not viable.

That day when the team visited, Tillack reported that they had left their home early in their boat for the farm and had returned home just before lunch.

She got up early that morning like the rest of the days and had prepared breakfast for the family before going off to the farm as a group to tend to crops.

Tillack did not have the time to relax, since she had to prepare lunch and dinner for that family and also had household chores.

“As a woman and as a farmer, it is not easy having to cook, clean and then go to the farm, but it is our living and way of life as simple, grassroots people, we have to work hard to earn. It doesn’t end there.

We have to go to sell our produce too. So, as a farmer, it is a tall task and it is a lot of responsibilities, living here,” she said.

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 03, 2022

The way of life in Big Biaboo Village NARESH Bhanwandeo is a rice and cash-crop farmer who also rears cows and is a resident of Big Biaboo Village, Mahaica, where he resides in Region Four, but farms in Region Five.

The father of two is also the Chairman of the Upper Mahaica River Farmer ’s Association and is a birdwatching tour operator.

He is planting crops of rice, plantains and watermelons and would sell his produce to wholesale buyers, who would show up to make purchases when there is a harvest.

“It is hard to work on the farm in the day, then when I get a harvest to have to wake up at 03:00hrs in the morning to go and sell the produce at the market,” he said.

It is not profitable selling to wholesalers, but he reported it is easier because of distance, time, and money.

Bhagwandeo told the Pepperpot Magazine that being a farmer entails many challenges, but in that section of the country, there are no other work options, and the nearest market is at Mahaica, which is the central hub for many businesses.

He explained that with bora crops, a farmer could reap every other day, and it is perishable, so they have to sell it off quickly. But the bora is of high quality, and they are the largest bora producers.

The farmer added that ground provisions, which some farmers plant would produce a harvest weekly and it is difficult for them to go and sell their produce at markets.

“Wholesale vending at nights and early mornings are dangerous in the city, so we do not want to put ourselves in any danger, but at the same time, we are not making a profit,” he said.

Bhagwandeo also related that costs for drugs and fertilisers have increased significantly and now it is at $14,000 per bag for fertilisers, putting a hole in the pockets of farmers.

He also stated that the farmers need a farm-tomarket road going through Grass Hook and Big Biaboo, because there are difficulties farmers face getting their produce out.

The farmer disclosed that the village isn’t covered by any Neighbourhood Dem-

ocratic Council and falls under the purview of the regional administration.

Bhagwandeo told the Pepperpot Magazine that the Upper Mahaica River Farmer’s Association has 150 members, comprising both men and women.

He stated that annually they distribute hampers to the elderly and differently-abled in the community.

Bhagwandeo added that they provide ploughing of farmlands for farmers within the association at a reduced cost and lend support, as well.

Bird-watching tours As for his small business of being a bird-watching tour operator, Bhagwandeo told the Pepperpot Magazine that he works with four local tour operators in the city.

He would make the necessary arrangements for his boat to facilitate the Mahaica River tour of bird watching for tourists.

The speed boat service is his side business and he would also provide breakfast as part of the tour package; and this week he had three such tours.

Naresh Bhagwandeo on his way to his farm

He disclosed that the peak seasons are in February and in September annually, and at times some locals would be a part of the tour.

Bhagwandeo pointed out that the Mahaica River is home to our national bird, the Canje Pheasant, the howler monkey, the river otter (water dog) and about 50 species of birds, which are part of the sight-seeing tour.

He noted that the breakfast provided on the excursion usually features local cuisine, which consists of dhal puri, chicken curry and other dietary requirements of the tourists, who may be vegetarian; there are options of potatoes/channa curry with roti.

Bhagwandeo stated

Naresh Bhagwandeo (Delano Williams photos)

that the Mahaica River separates Regions Four and Five and it is a safe haven for birds, making it

the perfect bird-watching location and a beautiful place to live and earn.

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 03, 2022

Region Five remains a top priority for development - Regional Chairman says

REGIONAL Chairman Vickchand Ramphal is optimistic that the agriculture-based village of Big Biaboo benefitted from recent developments to enhance the locals’ lives.

He has been serving in the capacity for seven years, and during this time, a lot of services were provided to the region despite challenges in dispensing resources.

Vickchand disclosed that

Region Five has the largest portion of rice cultivation, and they are also noted for being number one when it comes to livestock, cattle and poultry rearing.

“This is a region with

great potential because of the vast rice lands and pasture, but there is also a need for maintenance of the lands, roads and drainage,” he said.

He reported that they are reviewing resources from central government to improve the sector, and infra-

Regional Chairman Vickchand Ramphal (Delano Williams photo)

structure will be upgraded since the farmers have some issues.

Vickchand told the Pepperpot Magazine that the Little Biaboo Primary School and the Health Centre in the same village will be upgraded for the people.

The Regional Chairman added that Region Five has received a lot of benefits for the past two years since the new administration took office, and they remain a top priority.

The region saw the construction of a new bridge connecting Little and Big Biaboo and remedial works done to upgrade the De Hoop Branch Road, which leads to the village, he said.

Ramphal added that there is the continuation of the Guyana Power and Light network in Big Biaboo, where utility poles and distribution lines were installed.

He reported that electricity was also installed in sections of the village, and works are ongoing to ensure all households benefit from a potable water supply.

Ramphal explained that it has been on the government’s agenda to provide all necessary services to the people of the region, and they will do so in time.

He disclosed that G$100M has been allocated for upgrading of the De Hoop Branch Road, that is, the main access road and that process is at the tendering stage.

Ramphal added that drainage and irrigation are being looked at, and new canals network is expected to be put into motion within the community as being one of the hardest hit during last year’s flooding.

He stated that continuous drainage and irrigation works are being done, so that the people can continue to farm and rear livestock, cattle and poultry as part of their livelihoods without being disrupted as a direct result of flooding.

The regional official told the Pepperpot Magazine that resources were given for farmers to re-plant after the flood, and the administration is working with them to ensure that their incomes are secured.

Ramphal pointed out that the health centre at Little Biaboo will be upgraded to the tune of G$5M. This year, Big Biaboo, at least a section benefitted from electricity and another 3.5 miles of all-weather road will be done to enhance the lives of the people living in Big Biaboo and the last village, Grass Hook.

The current dirt road is flooded and very muddy after the dirt was scooped out and removed without it being sand-filled, making it impassable to access a section of Big Biaboo.

Ramphal resides at District 10, that is, within the De Hoop Branch Road and was SEE PAGE XIV

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 03, 2022

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ANGEL OF MERCY Cont’d SALIMA brushed her hair slowly, looking into the mirror but not seeing her reflection there. Her thoughts were filled with Rahim, someone not quite known to her, whose story related to her by her father evoked a feeling of sympathy for him.

The pain of losing a loved one, the separation when you can hold that hand no more, the voice becomes silent and the smile vanishes, is sometimes so deep, the wound cannot stop bleeding, not for a long time.

“No wonder there is so much hate and anger within him,” she mused.

Rahim’s mother’s illness, an incurable disease, had interrupted their lives when he was just a young boy. They shared a close bond, mother and son and his love for her was unique as he shared her pain and struggles in her battle to live. She wanted to see him graduate from university, maturing into a man, and get married but no wishes nor prayers could change the sentence on her life signed by fate. Rahim had turned down offers from top universities just to stay by her side while his sisters had continued their studies and gained doctorates. The girls had been afraid to disobey their authoritative father, but Rahim stood strong and brave against his command, creating a tension between them that grew over the years. His father, a man of God, recognised for his invaluable contribution to his religion and charitable organisations was a tyrant in his own home. His cruel dominance drove fear in the hearts of his wife and children and in her dying days he could hardly find words of comfort for his wife nor showed much that he cared for her pains and struggle. It fuelled hatred in Rahim’s heart and when his father chose to go on the Haj pilgrimage despite knowing his wife had little time left, that hatred became a dark storm in his heart that unleashed a relentless fury when his mother died before his father returned from the pilgrimage. That storm continued to rage as Rahim stopped praying and began drinking, doing the daring and bad things in rebellion against his father and religious beliefs. His pain, he locked inside his heart, bearing it alone, not allowing anyone close to him.

“That boy had lost his way,” her father told her, “he needs someone to light a path for him, to hold his hand and bring him back before he self-destructs.”

“How can anyone do that when he doesn’t allow anyone close to him?” Salima asked.

“Someone who has patience and faith, who can understand his pain, will find a way.”

Salima went to bed, those words the last thing on her mind before she fell asleep. She wasn’t sure she would see him again but about a week later, she almost collided with him again, coming out of the Administrator’s office.

“Oh, sorry,” she said.

He glared at her, starting to say something then changed his mind, his expression relaxing.

“No harsh words?” she asked.

He shook his head, a wry smile on his face and continued on his way.

He turned back to look at her before turning the corner, at the same time she did, and for a brief moment their eyes met.

A moment captured by fate that would intertwine their lives, the beginning of a journey of pain, love and forgiveness.

Salima had not much of a social life because of her dedication to her work, but she always tried her best to honour

special occasions.

She was working through lunch one day until night when Dr. Laurel stopped by to remind her of dinner on Saturday night with two more of their friends from medical school.

“Oh yeah,” Salima said, “I would not have forgotten.”

“Really?” Laurel asked doubtfully, knowing how Salima put work over her social life. “Why do you think I’m reminding you?”

The dinner was a nice, friendly affair for the four friends, all doctors in different fields. They talked about their high school days, the fun and frolic and the stress of exams, rais-

ing their glasses to toast their close friendship.

“And to all the cute guys in the world,” Dr. Priya Singh said in a sincere tone then she broke into a little laugh.

“Talk about cute guys,” Dr. Christine Jardine said, “Look who just walked in with a glam beauty on his arm.”

Salima didn’t turn to look, whilst her friends voiced their appreciation. But a little while later, a strong feeling compelled her to turn and she saw it was Rahim, standing by the bar with his girlfriend. He was looking attractive indeed and she smiled a little before looking away.

“So, no prince charming in your life as yet, Salima?” her friends wanted to know.

“In time,” she answered not quite sincerely.

“I’ll love to see who steals you heart,” Dr. Priya said, “He’ll probably have to be chosen by God himself.”

Laurel and Christine echoed her sentiments, little did they know, God had already chosen him.

During the dinner that strong feeling stayed within her, causing SEE PAGE XXX her to turn and look at him again

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 03, 2022

FAST AND FURIOUS: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ROAD RAGE ROAD rage is referred to as any incident of aggressive and angry driving. It’s not a well-defined concept and it encompasses everything from being annoyed in one’s own car, to making angry gestures, to full-on physical violence.

A closer look: Rage is an extremely energised state of anger that has been suppressed or accumulated for a while, and it needs a way of release Rage leads to an adrenalin rush, increased physical ability, increased self-esteem, and reduced rational thinking The rage episode subsides only after the emotion has been spent.

Typically, rage behaviour includes excessive screaming and swearing, intense verbal attack or abuse, and physical assault.

Now when the rage happens on the road, it becomes ‘road rage’ Road rage per se is not classified as a psychiatric illness.

We call this an Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED), characterised by extreme expression of anger.

What causes road rage?

In my view, road rage is an illness, an emotional, cognitive, and behavioural illness. But society seems to tolerate road ragers more than criminals, although the consequences of road rage resemble that of crime such as maiming, killing, etc. I believe that society accepts road rage as normal behaviour or a normal outcome of the stress of driving, because we all experience lesser outcomes of road rage commonly, such as finger-pointing, swearing, tailgating, etc.., untill someone gets hurt or killed is when the person is deemed as being a criminal.

Though it can be difficult to pinpoint the exact root cause of road rage, for some people, it can be pure anger based on their background, while for others, it can be the fear response, fear that another person is taking advantage of them, or fear that another person is taking the upper hand in that situation.

There are certain situational factors such as unexpected traffic jams that can be stressful when you are not knowing what’s happening, when you feel as if you are not in control.

Jack Katz, an American sociologist, outlines in his book ‘How emotion works’(1999), that the drivers tend to see the car as an extension of themselves, and to move the car through the world you have to embody it, knowing where it is related to others. Considering this statement, we can understand that being in a car, within a bubble it’s really difficult to communicate and understand another driver’s intentions. Now any perceived transgression from another driver becomes a personal insult to the individual, or it’s seen as disrespect. And the individual responds with the thought, “ you didn’t pay attention to me before, and now you certainly will !”.

There is also a dehumanising element to road rage, where in cases of full-blown rage, the drivers tend to have tunnel vision. They don’t see that there is another human being in that other car, and it’s just an object to let your steam off. We also need to understand that road rage is not always about the road at all. Most times, it’s the circumstances in life and other issues that lead up to frustration and anger. Research suggests that certain personality types such as low self-esteem, low self-control, low impulse control are more prone to serious actions during or following road rage experiences.

What to do to prevent road rage?

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How to earn from your writing in Guyana Earning solely as a writer in Guyana – and, let’s face it, in most places in general- is just not a practical thing to do. It took me many years before I could consider myself a writer by profession, simply because I continually balanced a “9 to 5” and my writing pursuits. But I’d like to encourage that after many years of almost stubbornly charting a course in writing, even if you don’t achieve a full-fledged career, it can still bring in significant income with the right pursuits.

This week’s article will provide some options for any Guyanese writer wondering how to earn from their craft. Here are some tried and true ways I have found to work for me: Look beyond creative writing – Many of our dreams start off with hoping to compile that book of poetry or publish that first novel or collection of short stories to sell and make money. I hate to burst your bubble, but in this local industry where self-publishing is the only path to get your work in print, oftentimes, you end up investing more than you earn from such a venture. So my first tip would be to set that dream aside for a bit (I’m not saying forget it altogether) and look at other types of writing. After all, a true writer will write anything and love it, so why not expand your skillset?

Build your portfolio- This is important. As you aspire to bigger projects down the road, clients will want to see what you have done. So, when starting

your professional writing career, strategically pursue projects that will give a boost to your portfolio. More times than not, the best portfolio examples for writers are published works. So, write Op-Eds, submit your work to magazines and newspapers, get a newspaper column, write for special publications. Published work lasts for a lifetime and can serve as links in your SEE PAGE XIX

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FAST AND FURIOUS: THE PSYCHOLOGY...

FROM PAGE XII

Everyone goes through different worries and stresses, but we have a choice, the choice to respond. Forget your worries and concentrate on driving.

We cant change the attitudes of other drivers, but we can change our attitudes and perspectives Be organised and plan your journey to avoid stress and anxiety Practise relaxation techniques more regularly to manage the situation more calmly.

If provoked, be courteous, calm and don’t do gesturing, sound a horn or flash lights, don’t aggravate the situation If you are the victim, take note of the vehicle registration number and report it to the police Remember, its better to get somewhere late than not to get there at all What to do if you are faced with aggressive behaviour?

Be calm, avoid eye contact and don’t try to aggravate the situation Do not respond to provocative, disrespectful words or actions Do anything possible to avoid the conflict What to do if an aggressive person heads towards you?

Remain in the vehicle, close the windows and lock the doors Stay calm, do not use any provocative words or gestures and avoid eye contact If you are in danger, call the police, or draw the attention of other drivers by sounding the horn Note the vehicle registration number Road rages can have serious consequences, and if you are a person who loses control in these types of incidents, it’s important to get professional help.

What is your experience of road rage?. Your comments and questions are encouraged. Write to me at innerpeacegy@gmail.com, or if you are struggling with excessive anger or stress, call me ( Anju Vivekanandaraj, MSN., MSc(Clinical Psy), Registered Clinical Psychologist) at 613-9255 for both online and in-person therapy sessions.

Region Five remains FROM PAGE X a top...

schooled in the area until he attended the Helena Primary School, after which he completed his secondary education at Bygeval Secondary School.

He went on to attend university in Cuba and upon his successful completion, he worked with several ministries and in 2015, he was elected Regional Chairman, Region Five.

Ramphal has been serving the community since and visited Big Biaboo Village on Monday, where he engaged farmers during a roadside meeting at the newly constructed bridge in the village.

Many issues affecting framers were raised, and their concerns will be addressed eventually, Ramphal promised.

A second visit is expected to take place with the engineer to rectify works to the newly constructed bridge, and road works will commence after the tendering process is completed and the contract has been awarded to a private contractor.

During this visit, a walkabout is on the cards and villagers will also engage the team to air their concerns.

The newly constructed bridge at Big Biaboo Village

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The people of Big...

FROM PAGE VII space tidy and generally watches over the place for anything unusual.

Ramesh Shibsahai, the farmer and bird-watching tour operator Ramesh Shibsahai is a farmer and a bird-watching tour operator, who works with other tour operators from the city.

The 59-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that he

Heeralall

came from Bushlot, West Coast Berbice and has been in the village since.

At the age of nine, he relocated to Big Biaboo Village, which is now his home.

“I started this bird-watching tour because a lot of people came asking for the service and I said to myself, why not, and that’s how I got started,” he said.

He established his small business 15 years ago and during that time, he led tours with tourists where he saw about 50 different species of birds in the Mahaica River, a sanctuary for many birds.

Shibsahai stated that most tourists are amazed by our national bird, the Canje Pheasant, the giant river otters and

Suresh Parsrum

the howler monkeys, the main attraction of Mahaica River.

He related that he has 50 iguanas as pets and he became interested in bird watching years ago.

Shibsahai added that the best time to conduct tours for bird watching is early in the morning and late in the afternoon; that is when the birds are out.

Presently, he is constructing a Jairam Khelawan deck in his backyard just by the Mahaica River. Two cabins will also be built for recreational purposes.

“I like the quiet peacefulness of this place and it is a very safe neighbourhood where nothing goes missing and doors are left unlocked,” he said.

He has wind turbines, solar panels for electricity whenever the local power company decides to have a power outage.

Delano Williams photos saved in a folder in Graphics as Big Biaboo Village.

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Family over ...

Milika has a shelf at the Collage store on Sheriff Street

School uniform bears have been very popular

business will pick up in time. “I think this will altogether be a success, because women like to look nice and they like jewellery and the fact that this is different and unique, I think it’s going to attract a lot of people.”

She would usually use a flat, smooth surface (ceramic tiles) to do her work as it would make it easy to get the modelling clay off. Once she has formed the shape she has in mind, she’d then bake the materials in an oven. This was mostly a self-taught operation that Milika picked up along the way and is finding success with.

Asked what contributed to her interest in these businesses, Milika said it was the effects that the COVID-19 pandemic brought with it. “Honestly, I would thank COVID because had it not been for the pandemic, I would not have left my job, and I wouldn’t have been at home looking for

FROM PAGE III other ways to generate income, so all of this happened as a result of the dreadful pandemic.”

Milika is looking forward to going back to the nursing profession, once she can find a job that would allow her to continue caring for her responsibilities at home. “I do want to go back to work eventually, but because of my responsibilities at home, I cannot do the shifts, so I am trying to find a job that will require my presence for only eight hours a day.”

In the meantime, she plans to attend as many exhibitions and similar activities as she can, so as to market her products. “I really enjoy doing it, so I will definitely continue.” Milika makes the items from home, but she has a shelf at the Collage store on Sheriff Street, next door to Ramchand’s Auto Spares.

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THE INEVITABLE SURGE OF DESPERATE, ENCLOSING NEEDS AS THE SEASONS PASS A PROFESSIONAL lamented recently, the ongoing cry of the needs of citizens when exploring programmes for the needy, contending after so many programmes were done.

The reality is that we have not been a proactive nation for too many years in the areas of understanding what our human pool has to offer that can be transferred into useful, independent resources against the inherited systems that were stable in the convenience of the colonial construct, but have withered as authorities watched helplessly. Where are the records on how the decline of the Guyana dollar destabilized an entire generation of retirees and shrank boasting bank accounts to beggars’ pouches? It doesn’t exist, nor are there official records, not just articles such as this, that chronicle the rise of the ‘Suitcase traders,’ the smuggling flour cartels, etc. To the evolution of importing marijuana then to planting marijuana; to the entrance of cocaine, the first local airstrips- that reality

resulted in ‘National Geographic Magazine’ mapping the trafficking route that included Guyana’s involvement, established as early as 1985 onwards- obviously likely functioning before. See N-G January 1989. What was the impact of these social developments on the economics of the majority operating in the official zone? One word, ‘Devastating.’

WWhat were their thoughts when the normalcy declined? The interest lay in trafficking.

The young saw through the tunnel vision of conspicuous consumption. The ‘Drug trade’ was the only answer. They compared on the facts of how their fathers lived, brought home earnings and yet they faced hunger in so many areas, for example. I was working at the GRB when it was burnt down in 1977. Shortly after there was a payoff of supervisors and other plant managerial staff. Casuals received their leave pay, but as time passed, most of the supervisors and managerial staff could be seen going to work as security guards. This, I learnt later, that the value of the retirement cheque was not adjusted to meet the economic changes that the country was going through since 1974. Earnings on the job were cushioned to meet standard-of-living needs through overtime payments, which were not a part of the evaluation. These citizens were impoverished instantly, retiring on an earning standard from an outdated union-management agreement that was applicable to a past era (that no one was honest enough to update). Likewise, closer to today, where are the statistics on how many citizens we have lost to narco-killings, how many as addicts, how many are alive as addicts? Most banks were comfortable with the ‘New Money’ until the money-laundering laws came into being (but there are ways around every law). How many households were affected, how many homes could not be repaired and the banks closed their doors? In the absence of any of the above records and no recognition, how can anyone propose to understand or evaluate the true condition of what is faced in their daily lives, what harmful adaptations they have become accustomed to, to state with authority, how on average, 80 percent of not-so-privileged Guyanese exist?

The first area that was damaged was the complete self-education desire thus, the values changed. The custom of reading has almost disappeared in the context of the novel among a greater percentage of our population thus, the past time that challenged the imagination, into fictional stories, many times based and characterised on real issues and personalities, in concepts that mirror scenarios that we can identify with. The lack of information is compounded, left to the interpretations of (for those who can read) reports and opinions in the media and social media. Without a deeper understanding of the answers to the varied and numerous ‘Why’s’?

Recently I ran into a senior citizen who was active in the administration of the La Penitence Wharf, Lombard Street. On exchanging greetings, I reminded him of my working on the repair of the wharf. At times, as a stevedore, See page XIX the former project that didn’t go too well with the workers

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How to earn from your writing... portfolio for your potential client to see. Take note that personal FROM PAGE XIII blogs can also constitute published work. However, unless your blog has a huge following and is monetised or otherwise generates income and a lot of interest, unfortunately, it doesn’t make your portfolio any more attractive, so add other professional types of publications to your forte.

Become a columnist - On the note of newspaper columns, this is my next tip. Columnists generate a lot of public dialogue through their work. They also receive access to a wide audience based on the newspaper’s online and print readership. Columns also take a lot of discipline and consistency and are a good sign of your commitment to writing.

And the best part of all is that being a columnist is most times a paid gig.

Consider consultancy- This step definitely requires a strong portfolio. Writing consultants can receive major projects that pay off in the long run based on the number of clients and frequency of jobs. Local organisations are always looking for writers to create content, write feature stories, write reports, compile technical documents etc.

The hardest part about consultancy is getting started. Still, once you build momentum, projects become more frequent.

Venture online - Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer, Virtual Vocations- these are all freelancing platforms that I have personally benefitted from through writing. There are millions of clients looking for various writing jobs to be completed. To date, I’ve ghost-

written two books on leadership, countless articles for online magazines and sites and created various other types of content. The downside to many of these sites while operating out of Guyana, though, is the limited payment options. But these sites are secure and once you figure out the payment aspect, I can attest that they are a great way of earning.

Network, Network, Network. Just this week, I was reminded of how important networking is, especially when venturing out on your own. Put yourself out there, into the circle with all the business people who could be potential clients. Make meaningful connections with persons you believe would be interested in hiring writers. And once you do good work, you will certainly get referred among inner circles.

Of course, there are many other ways that you can earn from writing. Journalism is also another option, but most times, these are full-time commitments that may not allow you to venture outside of the field due to its demand. But I would not shoot this pathway down altogether, after all, journalism is exactly where I got my professional writing start, and I have never regretted it.

The bottom line is if writing is your passion and you want to live and work as a writer, be fearless in your pursuit of that goal. There are many options out there- you need only look.

If you’re interested in contributing to this column on writing, email thewritemind592@gmail.com

THE INEVITABLE SURGE OF DESPERATE... and the contractor, he remembered, we laughed. But then, I was a young man, so he engaged me on the now, as a mature adult; he related a predicament that seemed to be haunting him, the habit of Guyanese in the former decades that felt that it was the right thing to do with their savings, buy a house in America or England, then send their children overseas, “ I don’t hear from them, they hardly call, I’m on my own here?” I could hear the anger and pain in his voice, but that was happening with families right here; who abandoned their folks at the hospital, The Palms. I could recall one old man in a village was thrown on the road. Parents are murdered, older women especially living alone are targeted. But I said nothing. He wanted me to listen, so I did. He then shook my hand, forced a smile and we parted in good faith.

All nations in their evolution have had to look within as in olden African tribal kingdoms, when things stumble. And share of the royal stock that the tribes people

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FROM PAGE XVII

contribute to, when all is good. The causes are always multiple, varied, unexpected and unpredictable, also an element of procrastination exists, grounded on the non-ability to address issues in openness and holistically, void of shut-button accommodations.

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How to fall in love

TWO weeks ago, I wrote about important features of a healthy relationship. I received a few emails- some even acknowledging what was lacking in their relationship with a personal promise to do better. However, one particular email stuck out. A reader asked me how they can fall in love. I was intrigued, yet unsure I could write about the topic as it is so subjective, and there is no real,

proven scientific way to make someone fall in love. We just feel how we feel and go through the motions, or do we? Having given it some thought, I think that you can choose to love.

It’s a tough one as almost everyone has a different definition of what love is, and more so, it is typically believed that one generally cannot force feelings and emotions, especially

one as natural as love. This reader, in particular, claims he has never been in love, despite efforts of becoming so. There could be forces that subconsciously block the possibility of love in your life. I’m going to explore that possibility and what we can do if we are scared or feel unable to love, but want to.

I would like to acknowledge that there are many reasons people feel an ability to love. These can range from childhood trauma or personal experience of being hurt. I always recommend seeking professional help to break down those projected barriers in these situations.

First of all, the scientist in me wants to say that love is simply a feeling made from chemicals in the brain such as oxytocin, which are ignited when something that brings us comfort and happiness happens - this could be anything from just seeing a person to them doing special little things for us. However, are there behavioural things that we can do to fall in love? Let’s find out.

First, I think an important question to ask yourself is, why do you want to fall in love with this person? Is it something that will benefit you emotionally, mentally and physically? Will it benefit the other person the same way?

Are you good for each other?

This means before you dive in, you should have a realistic view of the complexities of love. The beginning stage of attraction is all science -chemicals and hormones- but I believe that staying in a relationship and fighting to make it work is a series of conscious and unconscious choices.

Another important question for you and the person of your desire, is, do you really want this? This will become clearer if you ask yourself the aforementioned of why you want to fall in love in the first place. Keep in mind it is only fair to both you and the desired individual that you work on something that you truly want in your life.

If you have decided that it is something that you want to do and it will benefit all involved, try the below and let me know how it goes.

Choose something that you have never done and do it with this person, especially if it is something that you have always wanted to do. This will release endorphins such as serotonin and dopamine, but SEE PAGE XXI this creates emotional bonds

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How to fall in... to love.

So, if we can choose not to, we most certainly can choose to. Right?

I would love to know all your opinions. Do you think we can choose to fall in love, or that is beyond our control?

Please also continue to send topic requests/suggestions to caitlinvieira@ gmail.com

FROM PAGE XX

outside of hormones, where a connection and memory is made between two people that no one else can ever be a part of.

Spend quality time alone for intimate chats. These are the long, uninterrupted conversations we have when we are getting to know someone. It is calm, truthful, and the most common topics are family, work, life goals/dreams, fears etc.

For love to grow, there has to be true vulnerability and a genuine human connection.

During these intimate chats, focus on the other person’s best qualities. No, this does not mean ignoring bright red flags. If something seems wrong, run. However, you will never meet a perfect person, someone who ticks every box and does every single thing you like.

This is where compromise comes in in relationships. Not everything requires running away, many things can be compromised on. So in the beginning, focus just on the positive aspects of that person.

While physiologically, it takes just one-fifth of a second for those endorphins to rise for attraction and infatuationthat’s where the term ‘love at first sight’ came from- falling deeply in love is a process that cannot and should not be rushed. Be patient, don’t put too much pressure on the situation and let love organically fall into place.

Also, needless to say, but still going to anyway, there is a big difference between loving someone and being IN love. Some of you may have heard that many times, but I’m not sure the distinction was thought through and properly experienced.

As long as the correct elements are there – attraction, chemistry, interest, etc- one can love another human being.

There may not be much thought or choice put into this one.

I see this all the time: people set out to have casual relationships but end up having more feelings than intended, but I have never been convinced that they truly fell in love.

Being IN love is not just physically and sprinkled with intellectual attraction, but it is a deep, emotionally healthy intimacy that I genuinely believe very few people have ever experienced in their lifetime.

The difference here could be that love is something that happens to you, but falling in love and working on that is a choice, as you have to choose the healthy aspects which make the relationship stay strong - the communication, respect, safety etc- giving that to someone is absolutely a choice.

Think about it, if we choose not to let our guard down and be vulnerable, we are choosing not to love. If you refuse to spend time and have intimate chats, you are choosing not

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Guyana can learn from Trinidad’s mistakesbut not just in oil

THERE is an ongoing discussion on how Guyana can learn from the shortcomings of Trinidad and Tobago in the management of that country’s oil-and-gas sector.

More recently, these discussions have intensified, with the economic challenges of the Twin Island Republic highlighted. I believe that there are many lessons Guyana can learn from Trinidad, but not just in oil.

Petroleum in Trinidad and Tobago was first discovered in 1857, but commercial exploration and production did not get underway until 1907. Since then, Professor Ralph Premdas and Dr Bishnu Ragoonath (2020), related that the country experienced two “booms”- first from 1973 to 1982, and then again from 1999 to 2008.

The country, however, fell into a “period of trauma” from 1982 to 1992, when oil prices collapsed. After 2008, other collapses followed.

In their research paper titled, “From oil and gas, from boom to bust and back: the Trinidad experience with the resource curse,” Professor Premdas and Dr Ragoonauth outlined Trinidad’s rapid economic growth.

Trinidad fell prey to distorted development despite efforts at countering seemingly inherent (or at least, expected) challenges- wherein the oil-and-gas sector evolved quicker than other sectors. The country was largely unable to develop other sectors, and as such, with the depletion of the oil resources, Trinidad began experiencing economic challenges.

I lived in Trinidad for a short while. During that time, though, I was enthralled by the country and its people.

And, importantly, I garnered an appreciation of how much wealth can help transform a country - be it in beautification efforts, infrastructural development, or developing education and healthcare.

But, during my stay in Trinidad, the economic fallout was already becoming apparent. At the end of my first semester at the university, I spent some time engaging a Trinidadian Economist and Lecturer on his thoughts about Guyana. He did not hesitate to emphasise that Guyana should be focused on ensuring that other sectors of the economy become competitive, so that the country’s development is not dependent on oil-and-gas development alone.

Because of the known economic challenges emanating from Trinidad’s dependence on oil and gas and its inability to diversify its economy, the local focus on boosting agriculture and developing a strong manufacturing sector is key.

But boosting these sectors can’t just come from wishful thinking. That’s why efforts such as the gas-to-energy project, in my opinion, are crucial to ensuring that the non-oil sectors are strong enough to compete against oil and gas. With this project, electricity costs should be halved, resulting in a lower cost of production. With that lower cost of production, it becomes easier to keep non-oil sectors competitive.

Guyana can learn more beyond oil and diversifying the local economy. Though I enjoyed my stay in the Twin Island Republic, it was not without its challenges. I often SEE PAGE XXIII

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Guyana can learn from...

FROM PAGE XXII heard the horror stories of being a Guyanese in Trinidad- the xenophobia masquerading as concerns over the impact of an influx of immigrants on the job sector. Or worse, the accusations that we were liars, cheats and criminals.

During my first month of classes in 2019, my first real exposure to this was a lecturer pointing out to a class of at least 300 students that the only reason Trinidadians weren’t as concerned about Guyanese anymore, was because Venezuelans were the new targets. That and, well, Guyana now had oil (and that perhaps meant that the country garnered some respectability- yes, the logic escapes me).

But that was met with

snide remarks and sarcastic laughs from young folks in the lecture theatre. It was apparent that the “concerns” about Guyanese were still there. That certainly wasn’t as bad as facing the accusations as many Guyanese students before me faced, but it still saddened me.

In the minds of many, Guyanese had been exploiting the riches of Trinidadriches that were rightfully theirs to develop and exploit. That is nationalism and xenophobia- not patriotism. And it’s the sort of thing that we have to be very wary of not doing ourselves.

With the recent conversation on Guyana learning from Trinidad gaining momentum again, the hurt we felt is evident in the comments and posts on social

media. Surely, Guyanese must benefit from the exciting developments in our country, and we must guard against foreign exploitation.

But we must not, ourselves, become xenophobic and hurt people in the very same way that we once were.

For me, if managed well, oil and gas can help Guyana and Guyanese be better. While we pursue this together, we must be wary of the challenges ahead of us and pay keen attention to the shortcomings of those countries, such as Trinidad and Tobago, who attempted to forge similar paths before us.

If you would like to connect with me to discuss this column or any of my previous works, feel free to email me at vish14ragobeer@gmail.com

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SCAMMERS ARE AT THE DOOR! IGNORE THEIR ENTICEMENTS! FROM time immemorial, people have been stealing from each other. In Biblical times, the thefts were material things such as sheep or goats or clandestinely reaping the neighbours’ crops. Today, many thefts have become “white collar,” such as trying to sell a property that does not belong to the seller, or claiming that after being paid a large “commission,” one would be able to secure lucrative government contracts or obtain the housing lots which are being distributed by the Ministry of Housing, and so on. The scammers usually turn out to be known confidence tricksters or “con-men,” and the victims, as usual, tend to be poor and trusting folk. These kinds of scammers are homegrown, and most citizens are aware of them.

Now that Guyana has become an oil-and-gas economy, foreign scammers have begun to target the country.

They are attracted here because they perceive that more money is in the hands of the population than formerly.

The people were simple and innocent and could easily be conned. The same trend affected the Gulf States many decades ago, when they were transformed into oil-andgas economies.

These foreign scammers use all kinds of ingenious scams, and we will point out a few of the simplest and most used in Guyana. There are foreign prostitute organisations that have reportedly been sending persons mostly from Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia and The Dominican Republic, to exploit their victims and pay their foreign sponsors. These foreign persons who often engage in prostitution are, in reality, an exploited group themselves. They mostly remain in the cities and coastal regions, though some are venturing into the interior in the mining areas.

Another scam that is going on now is someone telephoning you, saying you have won a sum of money from GTT, but you should make certain payments to their credit cards. GTT should be able to uncover the criminals operating in its name.

Another common scam that predates the oil-and-gas industry, but which has been revived with a new vigour is the scamming by letters. There are, for example, letters emanating mostly from Nigeria, where the writers claim that they have got their hands on millions of dollars of funds from government departments which they would like to deposit in their victims’ foreign bank accounts, giving them a 40 percent commission for this laundering service.

The victims would have to send the scammers details of their foreign bank accounts, which would then be immediately plundered. Or, there are compulsive and almost mesmerising letters coming from various countries inviting the victims to make an “investment” in “shares” of the world’s wealthiest lotteries,such as El Gordo of Spain or the Irish Sweepstakes. After collecting the first remittances, the victims would be convincingly informed of how close they were to winning and becoming millionaires and inducing them to try again. And if they do, they become hooked, never winning, but helplessly finding their life savings draining into the pockets of the scammers.

Most Guyanese have heard of Stanford and Madoff, two Ponzi scheme operators who robbed their victims of millions of dollars before the law caught them.

Most imagine that Ponzi SEE PAGE XXV

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SCAMMERS ARE AT THE DOOR! IGNORE THEIR...

FROM PAGE XXIV schemes are a scam that occurs only in developed countries and that Guyana would never encounter them.

Actually, with Guyana becoming an oil- and-gas country, Ponzi operators have clandestinely begun to set themselves up. A Ponzi scheme, in its simplest form, is someone receiving deposits from the public with the offer of enormous interest rates every six months or a year, trying to invest some of this money, but mostly using the new deposits to pay the interest of the old. The Ponzi scheme operator takes a good part of the deposits for himself. If ever there is the slightest loss of confidence, there will be a run on the scheme, and it will fall apart like a pack of cards, and depositors will lose their money.

Two Ponzi scheme operators were recently reported in the media as having been arrested by the police. The first is a Cuban married to a Guyanese and who had naturalised as a Guyanese citizen, and the other is a Nigerian. They both operated in the countryside, and they were only discovered when one of their depositors complained to the police that he could not have his deposit repaid. It is believed that several other Ponzi schemers are operating in Guyana.

Another group of scammers are those who claim by the use of witchcraft, astrology

be a victim of any scammer.

or spiritualism or supernatural practices from India, Africa and Suriname: they could cure all illnesses, including cancer; ensure one is successful in court cases; in business; in love and marriage; and in general win health, wealth and prosperity for themselves. They could also harm one’s enemies physically and otherwise. For these services, the spiritualists would demand a number of fees and would always have excuses when their “supernatural” remedies do not work, shifting the responsibility for lack of success to the victims. Several of these scammers boldly advertise in the classified columns of the newspapers, The laws affecting such crimes, such scams, must be urgently modernised to ensure protection for the population.

The best protection citizens could have, however, is for them to emphatically realise that one never gets something for nothing and to reject any enticing offer of something for nothing. If one is guided by that principle, one could never

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A prosperous Guyana and its relationship with food security

Food security in Guyana

THE recent events of inflation of prices for basic necessities in the past week or two have been a scare and eye-opener to us all in some way or the other. Persons who make well above the minimum wage were anxious about the recent increases in basic household items, inclusive of food items. One can only imagine the thoughts and emotions of those who work for money right above or at the minimum wage. Let’s also not forget that there is still the reality of many who make below minimum wage—and has to use said “wage” to provide for entire households. One of the most basic necessities for human survival and wellness is food. Our entire existence and quality of life is dependent upon the quality and dare I say, access to food. Communities in developing countries are structured around agricultural infrastructure. Our primate ancestors and their social structures were centred around food—men were hunters, and women were gatherers.

Guyana is on the rise to becoming a developed country.

Investments are rapidly being made to encourage tourism and business. Restaurants are welcomed as an investment but the average will still have to access daily food through markets and supermarkets, as it is in other countries. Accessibility and affordability go hand-in-hand for food. They’re both just as important so in that same breath, while food may be accessible—it should be affordable as well. Even when food is accessible and affordable, is it healthy to provide dietary requirements? So, we may have one or two of these things, but for overall success, all three must be achieved.

When we speak on accessibility and affordability for healthy food, we’re relating to food security. Food security, as defined by the United Nations’ Committee on World Food Security, means that all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs for an active and healthy life.

The Sustainable Development Goal 2 entails Zero Hunger. The goal is to end world hunger by 2030, ensuring that every child and adult receives enough nutritional food. Food is a luxury for some, especially when fine dining, but it’s a means of survival for many. Some people can pick and choose which restaurant or supermarket they can choose to access the food they’d like to eat today. Meanwhile, impoverished people of this land are forced to think about where their next meal comes from—given that they have access.

The supermarkets or markets for some are the garbage bins or their neighbours leftovers. I must commend the efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Guyana Marketing Corporation for their ongoing campaigns, farmers’ markets and outreaches across the country. When the cost of garlic skyrocketed in Guyana, both of these entities provided the sale of garlic at a reduced price. This is a great initiative.

However, this and many more are needed. As the world and Guyana continue to continually populate themselves, we are in need of more food. Sadly, unhealthy food is also cheaper to access, which fuels obesity and unhealthy eating habits.

I will dedicate a future column piece to discussing possible solutions for better food security in Guyana. In the meantime, I’d appreciate it if you can ponder food security and the lack of accessible food for impoverished families in Guyana. You can’t build a prosperous Guyana with empty-stomach citizens

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 03, 2022 Some of the nests rescued from a flood

Two SRCS rangers searching for a turtle nest

SRCS rangers working daily to prevent...

From page IV

“If our rangers had not been there, it would have meant that there would have been no new turtles for the last two years, which in the future will contribute to the population decline. In addition, if this trend continues, it is possible that in the next 20 years, the turtle population could become extinct as no new turtles are being given the chance to hatch,” Millar noted.

Like last year, the rangers have taken the nests back to their individual homes and will care for them until they hatch. They will then look after them until September 2022, when they will be released at the second “Sand Creek Turtle Festival.”

To overcome the issue of flooding in the future, Millar said SRCS will continue its partnership with Sand Creek Village to build a hatchery in the village. Then, at the start of the hatching season, 100 nests from the lowest beaches along the Rupununi River will be transported to the hatchery as soon as they have been laid to protect them from flooding. The rangers will move other low nests to higher beaches to ensure they can survive flooding where possible.

“However, if the trend of flooding continues, it will be necessary for rangers to be present on the river every year to protect the nests from flooding as there is such a short time to rescue the nests when the river unexpectedly rises,” he informed.

The project is being funded with the support of the Sustainable Wildlife Management - Programme Guyana, the Turtle Conservation Fund and ReWild.

A puma on one of the protected beaches

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ANGEL OF MERCY ...

FROM PAGE XI

and this time, his eyes met hers.

“This is crazy,” Salima chided herself, “What am I doing, he’s not of my world.”

She was thankful when the dinner was over and she could be in the private comfort of her home. She prayed before going to bed, not wanting any strange thoughts in her mind, but his was the face she saw before she fell asleep.

She went to the hospital early the next morning because for today, Sunday, she had planned to visit a girl’s orphanage with her mother and a few women from their Masjid.

The Fatima girl’s orphanage was an impressive place with modern facilities and conveniences built by a son in his

mother’s memory, not too long ago. There wasn’t much details on the family history and looking at the portrait on the wall, Saleem felt drawn to the beautiful woman whose eyes portrayed a soft, loving look but in the depths there was a touch of pain.

“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” a familiar voice said.

Salima turned around, a bit startled, not realising she had been left alone by the others, as she stood staring at the portrait.

Rahim had walked in quietly, standing behind her.

“Yes she is,” Salima answered in a sincere tone, “Her eyes seem to be telling a story.”

He walked forward and stood by the portrait, “You’re the only person who’s seen that.”

“I didn’t know you were the founder, the son.” She said.

He smiled, just a little, “Her memories are very precious, something I always want to cherish, that’s why the privacy.”

“And your family?”

He beckoned her to sit, “My sisters supported me with this idea.”

She smiled warmly, pleased that this was his brainchild that portrayed the personality of someone totally different from the one she had been seeing.

“You must have loved her very much.”

“She was my mother, my everything.” He said in a low tone and for the first time she saw pain in his eyes.”

“And your father?”

A dark look crossed his face and he stood up, harshness catapulted back into his voice, “Don’t ever ask me about him!”

“I’m sorry, I --“ He walked out, leaving her standing there before she could finish apologising.

“Oh boy,” Salima said quietly, “Whatever is bothering him, it’s really deep.”

She rejoined the women and continued their visit, impressed with the girl’s decorum and intelligence, except for one notable fact.

None of the girls wore the hijab.

“This is strange,” she thought to herself, “He must have a very good reason for hating the headwear.”

She did not see him again and was leaving when his assistant called her, “Dr. Mohammed, Mr Jaffarally would like to see you in the lounge.”

He was standing, staring silently out the window when she entered.

“You wanted to see me?”

He turned, tried to smile and failed, “I’m not in the habit of apologising to anyone,” he said, “but I’m sorry for getting angry at you.”

“It’s okay,” she said with a little smile, “I didn’t know you have issues with-- you know who.”

This time he managed a little smile, looked at his mother’s portrait, then at Salima, “She would have liked you, minus the hijab of course.”

Salima made to say something then thought better of it, “You know what, I’ll take you up on that issue some other time.”

“So I’ll be seeing you again?”

“I don’t know.”

“I hope I do.”

There was a hushed moment as they looked at each other then she said ‘Bye’ and was gone.

He watched her go, the smile on his face still there and turned to look at his mother’s portrait, “What do you think, Amijan (mother)?”

To be continued…

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WORLD HEALTH DAY 2022

IN the midst of a pandemic, a polluted planet, and an increasing incidence of diseases such as cancer, asthma and heart diseases, on World Health Day 2022, the WHO will focus global attention on urgent actions needed to keep humans and the planet healthy and foster a movement to create societies focused on well-being?

The theme for World Health Day 2022 is Our Planet, Our Health. This call from PAHO, the WHO, and partners, presents a unique opportunity for a green and healthy recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic that puts the health of individuals and the planet at the centre of actions and fosters a movement to create societies focused on well-being.

The WHO estimates that more than 13 million deaths around the world each year are due to avoidable environmental causes. This includes the climate crisis, which is the single biggest health threat facing humanity. The climate crisis is also a health crisis driven by our political, social and commercial decisions. Over 90% of people breathe unhealthy air resulting from the burning of fossil fuels. A heating world is seeing mosquitos spread diseases farther and faster than ever before. Extreme weather events, land degradation and water scarcity, are displacing people and affecting their health. Pollution and plastics are found at the bottom of our deepest oceans, the highest mountains and have made their way into our food chain.

Systems that produce highly processed, unhealthy foods and beverages are driving a wave of obesity, increasing cancer and heart disease, while generating a third of global greenhouse gas emissions.

A growing body of research demonstrates not only that the extreme weather events associated with a changing climate can impair mental health, in particular leading to increases in depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, but also that more gradual changes in climatic conditions, such as rising temperatures and reduced air quality, are also harmful to mental health. In addition, there is increasing evidence that a significant proportion of people might be experiencing a harmful level of anxiety associated with their perception of climate change.

The mental health impacts of climate change have the potential to affect a significant proportion of the population.

Let us talk a little bit more about mental health.

Mental issues are health conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking or behaviour (or a combination of these). Mental illnesses are associated with distress and/or problems functioning in social, work or family activities.

Mental health is common.

What’s the difference?

People with mental health conditions are more likely to be affected by extreme weather events for several reasons. Psychiatric medications can interfere with a person’s ability to regulate heat and their awareness that their body temperature is rising, which is associated with injury and death.

Dozens of mental illnesses have been identified and defined. They include depression, generalised anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and many more.

Mental illness is an equal-opportunity issue. It affects

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WORLD HEALTH DAY ...

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young and old, male and female, and individuals of every race, ethnic background, education level, and income level.

The good news is that it can often be treated.

Signs and symptoms of mental illness depend in part on the illness. Common symptoms include: * Feeling sad or down; * Confused thinking or reduced ability to concentrate; * Excessive fears or worries, or extreme feelings of guilt; * Extreme mood changes of highs and lows; * Withdrawing from family, friends, or activities; * Significant tiredness, low energy or problem sleeping.

In some people, symptoms of a mental illness first appear as physical problems such as stomach aches, back pain, or insomnia.

Mental health and climate change Climate change and related disasters cause anxiety-related responses as well as chronic and severe mental health disorders. Flooding and prolonged droughts have been associated with elevated levels of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorders. The trauma and losses from a disaster, such as losing a home or job and being disconnected from the neighbourhood and community, can contribute to depression and anxiety.

Extreme weather events have also been associated with increases in aggressive behaviour and domestic violence.

Exposure to extreme heat may lead to increased use of alcohol to cope with stress, increases in hospital and emergency room admissions for people with mental health or psychiatric conditions, and an increase in suicide. The need for mental health services increases in the aftermath of a climate-related disaster. At the same time, there is often a disruption in services or a decrease in the availability or accessibility of services.

Some people are more vulnerable to the potential impacts of climate change, including children, the elderly, the chronically ill, people with cognitive or mobility impairments, pregnant and postpartum women, and people with mental illness. People of lower socioeconomic status, migrants, refugees and the homeless may also be more vulnerable.

Children are more impacted by disasters than adults and are more likely to have continued trauma-related symptoms after a disaster. Disruptions in routine, separation from caregivers as a result of evacuations or displacement, and paren-

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Services and Social Security.

Happy World Health Day! “Our Planet, Our Health” tal stress after a disaster all contribute to children’s distress.

April 07, 2022 Children are often very resilient and reactions to disasters may resolve over time, but they should be monitored for long-term Remember if you are suffering from mental illnesses, effects of chronic stress-related to extreme weather events. please don’t hesitate to reach out for help. See you next First responders, emergency workers and others involved week! with responding to extreme weather-related disasters are at References increased risk for mental health consequences, both in the https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/climateshort and long term. These individuals may be both a re- change-and-mental-health-connections/affects-on-mentalsponder and victim, required to provide care for the public, health while managing the adverse impacts of a disaster for their You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters own family. Responders and emergency workers are often to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O ECEA Programme, exposed to injury or death in the line of work, which can Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, increase negative impacts.

GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@gmail.com.

Individuals with a mental illness can often ease their Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to our symptoms and feel better by talking with a therapist or by YouTube channel. reaching out to the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Human

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 03, 2022

CARIOGENICITY CARIOGENICITY refers to the susceptibility of tooth decay which is an infectious disease powerfully affected by the diet and by the pattern of its consumption by the host. Its dependency on fermentable dietary carbohydrate (sugar) ingestion is beyond question. However, caries does not occur in germ-free animals, no matter their diet, thus establishing it as a fundamental microbiological

disease. Based on these facts, researchers are working consistently to identify new ways to combat tooth decay.

For centuries it has been known that salivation contributes positively to oral hygiene by literally washing away the colonies of caries-producing germs that constantly proliferate on the tooth’s surface. The practice of chewing gum originated with the act of keeping a smooth pebble in the mouth. Bad breath may be resisted in this way.

The merits of chewing gum as it relates to preventing tooth decay is well publicised. Literature and TV adver-

tisements refer to the buffer effects that saliva has on dental plaque, and everyone knows that chewing gum provokes salivary flow. But there is a new mechanism, whereby chewing gum helps prevent caries. That aspect has to do with the actual composition of the chewing gum.

Several studies of humans have examined the effects of partial or total substitution of sugar by xylitol in chewing gum. Xylitol is sweet, but is not a fermentable sugar.

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CARIOGENICITY...

FROM PAGE XXXIV Actually, it is chemically classified as alcohol.

As part of the famous Turku Sugar Studies, a comparison of caries experience was made among three groups of adults whose diets contained diverse foods in which fructose-substituted-for sucrose, xylitol-substituted-for sucrose, or the usual sucrose-containing foods

were exclusively consumed. The results after two years, supported by a variety of microbiological, salivary and other observations, demonstrated a dramatic reduction of decay incidence, about 85 percent by comparison with the ordinary sugar diet.

Studies clearly demonstrate the non-cariogenicity of high xylitol ( 65 percent) content gum. They also suggested that such chewing gums was a caries inhibitor, despite the limited time and quantity and exposure of the dentition to the gum. Of course, it should be recognised that chewing gum would seem to be an ideal vehicle for delivering caries-inhibitory substances at relatively high concentrations to the surfaces of the teeth, although the quantities ingested may be very small.

The factors which are conducive to tooth decay are remarkably localised to the surfaces of the teeth. They are plaque, its bacterial population, the acid produced from sugar in the plaque in juxtaposition to the tooth surface, and the sugar challenge to the plaque flora.

Finally, certain factors should be involved with chewing gum for the sake of oral hygiene. The chewing gum must contain xylitol sweetener instead of sugar.

The content of xylitol should be high, that is, over 60 percent, because it is the xylitol which specifically attacks the germ (strep mutans), which causes tooth decay. The gum should be chewed for at least a total of 20 minutes a day. This implies that one may chew the gum four times for five minutes during the entire day, so as to derive the maximum effect. Now, even tooth whitening gum is sold on the local market.

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 03, 2022

Shop Buju Banton debuts fashion show

By Nelson A. King CHIEF executive officer and president of Shop Buju Banton (reggae artist and philanthropist Buju Banton’s clothing line), Santresa McCarthy has announced the brand’s debut fashion show for April 10 at Lemon Grove (7610 NE 4th Court, Miami FL 33138) from 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

The fashion show, entitled “Blessed Brunch: Rip The Runway- Red, Gold and Green Edition,” includes the re-

lease of the brand’s “What Drives You’ collection, as well as “Crypto Rude Boys.”

McCarthy said that the event focuses on giving attendees a taste of the brand’s new direction moving forward.

The internationally known brand was founded on Jul. 15, 2017, and consists of women’s, kids and menswear.

“The entire collection focuses on creative designs collaborating directly with Buju Banton himself,” McCarthy said.

“Originally the brand launched artwork that focused highly on Buju Banton’s image and legacy albums, however, it has

transitioned into a lifestyle brand and, in true Buju Banton fashion, the brand is keen on motivating, educating and encouraging its supporters.

“Buju Banton’s clothing line aims to help spread a message of love and peace, paying homage to Africa, freedom and liberation, as well as conscious and inspirational themes

A model sporting the Buju Banton brand. with matching reference graphics,” she added.

“When we launched Shop Buju Banton, formerly known as Everything BB, my focus was to capture who the world knows as Buju Banton’s personality, creativity, and energy and express it through fashion,” McCarthy continued. “The music inspired everything we did. We’re excited that the company has grown and expanded to become more of a lifestyle brand. This way his fans and supporters can truly express themselves from clothing to home décor and more.”

Mark Myrie (Buju Banton), said: “Santresa, has the vision, drive, and dedication needed to continue to build this brand to the next level.

“The Fashion Show is designed in a way that will express the core of the Buju Banton brand.,” he said. “Over the years, my supporters have been a driving force and we want to give them something special they will remember.

“Each piece was designed with the intent to motivate and move the people forward,” Buju Banton added. “Now is the time to come together and do something powerful through fashion.”

McCarthy said guests can expect a non-traditional fashion show that infuses culture, music, food and, of course, fashion.

The event will be hosted by Correy K and features music

by Karim Hype, Rory Stone Love, Steelie Bashment and DJ Country The Truth. and sponsored by Buju Banton, “’Blessed Brunch: Rip the Runway- Red, Gold and Green Edition’ will give audiences a taste of what’s to come,” McCarthy said. “Special guests will be making appearances throughout the night, and there will also be opportunities to purchase exclusively at the event before the lines are released to the rest of the world.” (caribbeanlife.com)

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 03, 2022

Stephen Marley pays ‘Reggae Tribute’ to Nina Simone

By Nelson A. King MULTI-GRAMMY Award-winner Stephen Marley has released his new EP “Celebrating Nina: Reggae Tribute To Nina Simone” via Ghetto Youths International.

“Co-produced by Paul Fakhourie, mix and mastered by legendary Errol Brown, who was also Bob Marley’s engineer, this EP the biggest Reggae Blues collaboration of 2022 has arrived, as Stephen Marley celebrates Nina Simone, in a Reggae style,” said Ronnie Tomlinson, the Jamaican-born chief executive officer of New York-based Destine Media.

“This new EP has seven tracks as an ode to some of Nina’s greatest hits,” added Tomlinson, a Brooklyn resident.

“Stephen has been building anticipation for this release for some time.”

Riding on the high of single releases like Queen Ifrica’s “Four Women” in April of 2021, and Etana’s “Young Gifted And Black” in February of this year, Stephen has described the EP as a “tribute to the legendary American jazz singer, composer, pianist and arranger Nina Simone.”

“These tracks have given the audience a mere taste of what the EP has to offer but now it’s finally here,” Tomlinson said.

Nina Simone, legally known as Eunice Kathleen Waymon is one of America’s most legendary singer, songwriter, and musical arranger.

“Outside of her music, she is most known for her role as a civil rights activist during the separatist and racist 60’s

Cover of “Celebrating Nina” A Reggae tribute to Nina Simone by Stephen Marley. and 70’s,” Tomlinson said. “Stephen Marley has never shied away from his musical appreciation for Nina, producing songs for himself such as “Father of The Man”, featuring Wyclef Jean and a classic Nina sample from her iconic “Keeper Of The Flame” hit.

“I’m such a huge fan of her work”, said Stephen Marley during a Musicme interview in 2017.

“Now, many years later, this appreciation has blossomed into an entire EP, paying tribute to Nina’s musical genius,” Tomlinson said.

“This project is about preserving Nina Simone’s legacy, passing it on to younger generations, including my children, because you don’t often find music this substantial,” Stephen Marley said.

“When we started this project, we reached out to Nina’s daughter (Lisa Simone Kelly) and to the Nina Simone Foundation to establish a connection,” he added. “We want to donate a portion of proceeds to the things that she was all about.” Tomlinson said: “As we celebrate International Women’s month, ‘Celebrating Nina: Reggae Tribute to Nina Simone’ highlights the strength, power and resilience of women, with tracks from artists like Terri Walker, who does a beautiful rendition of Nina’s 1961s ‘No Good Man’”.

Tomlnson said Maya Azucena makes an appearance with her take on 1971s “Mr. Bojangles”.

“Joss Stone chimes in with ‘Here Comes The Sun’, Melanie Fiona inspires with her version of ‘Don’t Explain’, and Cedella Marley honors the well-known 1964 hit ‘Misunderstood’”. S Speaking to Billboard Magazine’s Patricia Meschino, Stephen Marley shared that he chose to work exclusively with female artists on this project because “our queens deserve recognition as the mothers of creation.

“These are beautiful, strong women and their voices do Nina’s work and reggae solid,” he said. (caribbeanlife. com)

Stephen Marley

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 03, 2022 Charlie (right) during one of her club games

Guyana-born athlete made ...

From page II ative of former Guyana and West Indies player Carl Hooper, she didn’t even expect to be invited to be part of the federation since “I spent a lot of time battling with the authorities for the improvement of the women’s game.”

Hooper referred to other countries who are using their past players, especially in their youth programmes, to assist in their development of the game, but this wasn’t the case in Canada, where she claimed there were persons in the federation who knew nothing about soccer but were all “yes people; people they can control and agree with everything they say.”

On a more positive note, Hooper said, “things seemed to have changed somewhat since I noticed they have been hiring a few ex-players in the federation, and that’s a good start.”

Touching on women’s soccer in Guyana, Charmaine feels there’s a need for a more structured programme with the game being played more at the club and school levels. She also thinks that the Guyana Football Federation needs to invest more, financially, in the women’s game since it doesn’t seem to be the case.

Charmaine is also urging the young players in Guyana not to be distracted by the number of overseas-based players in the national team, but to use that as a motivation to show off their undoubted skills.

Hooper was inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in June 2012 and in October of that year, into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in Calgary. And as if that weren’t enough, she was inducted into the North Carolina State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014.

Significantly, Hooper was inducted into the United Soccer League’s Hall of Fame in 2002 after being named Atlanta Beat’s Most Valuable Player (MVP), and became the only Canadian player in Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) history to score in the Founders Cup III. Strong, powerful and determined, the powerhouse played 131 times for the Canadian team, scoring no fewer than 71 goals.

Hooper made her debut for Team Canada as an 18-yearold against Team USA in July, 1986. She went on to represent Canada at three FIFA Women’s World Cups (Sweden 1995, USA 1999, USA 2003). At the 1995 and 1999 World Cups, Hooper was recognized by the FIFA Women’s World Cup Technical Study Group as one of Canada’s outstanding players.

She won two silver medals for Canada at the CONCACAF Women’s Championships (1991, 1994). She also helped lead Canada to its first-ever CONCACAF gold in 1998. She was named Canadian Player of the Year in 1994, 1995, 2002 and 2003 and was the first player to have 100 caps for the women’s national team.

After high school, Hooper attended North Carolina State University (NC State) in Raleigh, North Carolina, from 1987 to 1990. She graduated with a degree in food sciences.

During her career with the NC State Wolfpack women’s soccer team, Hooper set various individual records that still stand, including most points in a single season (57); most goals in a single season (26); most points in a career (145); most goals in a career (58); most points in a single season by a freshman (46); most consecutive games with a goal (seven); and most consecutive games with at least one point (11). She is also tied for the school record for most goals in a game (four).

In her first year with the team, Hooper helped the Wolfpack qualify for the NCAA quarterfinals. In her sophomore year, she led the team to an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) championship and then to the NCAA Finals — NC State’s best finish ever. They made it to the NCAA semifinals and then the NCAA quarterfinals in the next two years.

Hooper also played for FK Donn of the Norwegian Toppserien, where she scored 17 goals in 13 league appearances. After a short period with Lazio of Serie A, she signed a professional SEE page XXXIX

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contract with Japanese League club Prima Ham FC and was a highly valued player in Japan before returning to North America after four seasons.

The well-travelled former striker comes from a sports-oriented family. She is the sister of Lyndon Hooper, also a former Canadian footballer. .

After leaving Guyana at the tender age of eight, Hooper lived with her parents in Zambia, where her father served as a diplomat and she attended an American school where soccer was predominantly played by boys, including her brother Lyndon. It wasn’t until she came to Ontario, Canada, that she saw an entire team of girls playing.

Hooper served as an Honorary Ambassador for the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup Canada 2002, was a member on the Organising Committee for the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup Chile 2008, and also served on the Technical Study Group at the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup Germany 2010.

Hooper was one of the original six members of the Canadian women’s national team that formed in 1986.

She was also the first player on the team to have 100 caps (appearances in international competition). During her 20year career, she laced up for Canada 129 times and scored 71 goals, making her Canada’s all-time leading goal scorer (a record since surpassed by Christine Sinclair).

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A day out in Big...

From page VI

cessible due to the state of the dirt condition of what was supposed to be a road.

This 3.5-mile dirt road is accessible only by foot or by boat and it leads to Big Biaboo, a village tucked away just in front of the Mahaica River as its background and in front a drainage canal which overlooks the vast farmlands.

It is a quaint little village with about 35 houses scattered all over some distance apart and others close by.

The locals consist of Indo-Guyanese and it is the home of high-quality bora on a very large scale, which is the main economic activities of the people.

Big Biaboo Village is the second-to-last village and is bordered by the Little Biaboo and Grass Hook communities.

It is the home of bora, corilla, squash, purple ochro, tomatoes, peppers, boulanger and other cash crops, but its main produce is high-quality bora due to the excellent soil composition combined with the consistency of drugs and fertilizers.

There is large-scale rice cultivation, livestock, poultry and cattle farming as well in this village, and it is a place which is very breezy and is a haven for all species of birds, making it ideal for bird watching.

The population of Big Biaboo is about 200 and it is a farming village where the locals lead very simple and hard-working lives, toiling on their farms, which is accessible via boat for many daylight hours daily.

The village has no facilities, but it is accessible in the neighbouring village of Little Biaboo, where there is a health centre, and a nursery school.

In Big Biaboo, some sections do not have electricity, but they have potable water supply and internet service from a private provider.

Big Biaboo is a farming village, where both men and women are farmers and apart from this, there are no other jobs, so job opportunities do not present itself readily in this part of the country.

The locals eat what they grow and the produce is mostly sold to wholesale buyers who visit, but who pay below the market price and re-sell for far more thus, causing the farmers to make little or no profits at all.

A handful of farmers would sell at some markets along the East Coast Demerara corridor, as far as the Plaisance Market.

In Big Biaboo there is an abundance of fruit trees, plants and flowers. There are no fishing signs posted up along the village, where there is a good catch of sweet water fishes.

It is a very safe village with just one road leading in and out of this community, and there are hardly any strangers there because all of the locals have lived their entire lives there, making it their home.

The people are very hospitable and friendly and do not hesitate to welcome visitors to their homes.

Big Biaboo was one of the villages in the region which was hard-hit by the flood last year and the water stayed on the land for four months, which caused crops, livestock, poultry and cattle to perish on a large scale.

Today, the people have regained their daily lives of farming the lands and are earning at a slow pace, hoping to gain momentum as they rebuild what was taken away.

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 03, 2022

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 03, 2022

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 03, 2022

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 03, 2022

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 03, 2022

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 03, 2022

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 03, 2022

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 03, 2022

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 03, 2022

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THOUGHT FOR TODAY All seems infected that th’infected spy, As all looks yellow to the jaundic’d eye.

ALEXANDER PO P 1744) An Essay on E (1688Criticism,

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 03, 2022

April 03, 2022 STUDY SUCCESS Dear Student, Welcome dear friend.

Get into the habit of practising and revising what you have learnt, or you may lose the capacity to remember it well. You may find that

sometimes your situation gets so bad that you forget things you learned earlier in the day. This can happen at crucial times. You try to learn too much at one sitting.

And boom! There comes the blockage. Anyway, never omit to involve your study partners at times. Be wise.

Love you.

THE PASSAGE Instruction: Read the following abridged passage carefully.

“But why shouldn’t I?” my mother argued. “Lots of people’s mothers work.”

“Those are American people,” father calmly said.

“So, what do you think we are? I can do the pledge of allegiance with my eyes closed.”

Nevertheless, she tried to be discreet; and if my mother wasn’t home by 5:30, we would start cooking ourselves, to make sure dinner would be on time. Mona would wash the vegetables and put on the rice; I would chop.

For weeks we wondered what kind of work she was doing. I imagined she was selling perfume, testing dessert recipes for the local newspaper. Or maybe she was working for the florist.

Now that she had learned to drive, she might be delivering boxes of roses to people.

“I don’t think so,” said Mona as we walked to our piano lessons after school.

“She would have hit something by now.”

A gust of wind littered the street with leaves.

“Maybe we better hurry up,” she went on, looking at the sky. “It’s going to pour.”

We arrived out of breath and wet.

“Oh, you poor, poor dears,” said old Miss Crosman. “If your mother won’t drive you, I can come pick you up.”

“No, that’s okay,” I said.

“We just couldn’t get the roof of our car to close, is all.”

(Gish Jen’s “The White Umbrella”) What to Do Answer the following questions as far as what is stated or implied in the passage.

1. Why might the girls’ mother try to hide the fact that she is working?

2. Read the passage again

and then determine the relationship between the girls and their mother. Ascertain your answer in more than two sentences.

3. Write about the characteristics of each girl.

4. Write what you glean about their mother’s skills.

5. Who is the narrator of the extract? How can you tell?

6. Write a brief creative, fictional narrative about two young boys whose love for their kind grandfather was overwhelming. Transport your reader to a place where he has never been and introduce him to a whole new world of engaging characters.

Now, see how to check your handiwork: 1. Are there one or more well-developed characters?

2. Is there a conflict that keeps the reader asking what will happen next?

3. Is there a clear storyline or sequence told from a consistent point of view?

4. Is there effective pacing?

5. Does your narrative develop dialogue, suspense, and other literary elements and devices?

6. Does your title catch the reader’s attention?

7. What do your precise vocabulary and effective word choice look like?

8. Have you tried to make your writing error-free?

Composition Writing The friendly, personal letter The address The Date Dear Mother, I am sorry that I am not able to get home before Easter, but I am looking forward to seeing you then. (I still need to complete two very important nature assignments for submission within the next two weeks.) Shall we have a party on Easter Monday as usual? I hope you will let me have my allowance in advance so I can make up some presents.

I am very happy here now that I have gotten used to the strange surroundings. It seems so funny to me that when I get up to go to school everybody on the farm is already hard at work. The flower hedges are already trimmed and watered, the lawn grass is swept and free from fallen leaves and downy feathers. Then the work hands have already milked the cows and taken the horses on their exercise regimen. They start very early, and sometimes wake me up. I do not think I will be a farmer’s wife when I complete my schooling down here, even though I like open spaces. The country around here is uncluttered and lovely with clean-smelling air and a steady breeze. All fruit trees are in rows and evenly spaced.

The other day a large fruit-picker came to harvest the mangoes, pears, and cashews which were packed into crates to be shipped out of the country. As Cousin Vance told me, the pickers are easier to rent at this time which is the best time for the fruits to be picked, sorted and properly labeled for shipping. If rented amid stiff competition later, most fruits would have to be sold on the local markets. Yesterday, Saturday, I helped him separate the lesser-abled chickens from being in the way of their stronger sisters, and this morning I saw baby chicks just out of their shells in the incubator.

I am learning many useful and fascination things about nature that I never thought of before. I am enjoying my cousins down here, too. I wish sister could be here.

Yours affectionately, Georgiana Points to note: This friendly letter has some good points worth considering. a. It is correctly written, with accurate spelling and reasonably good punctuation. b. The daughter has made a fair attempt to arrange what she has to say. c. Her paragraphing is quite sensible. d. The setting of the letter is correct. The address and date are in position, and it ends in a way that is generally accepted as suitable for a girl or boy writing to a relation.

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 03, 2022

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, April 03, 2022